Dan Maffei in Office, and the Colbert Report

I love it when somone else does the writing of our cousins’ blog stories!

The Syracuse Post-Standard’s writer, Mark Weiner, has been covering our cousin, Dan Maffei from his Washington bureau.
On January 11th, he wrote:
Freshman Rep. Dan Maffei looked more like a celebrity than a newcomer Tuesday after he took his oath of office on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Maffei, D-DeWitt, who succeeded 20-year veteran Rep. James Walsh representing the Syracuse area, was stopped at every turn by well-wishers and prominent members of Congress as he walked through the U.S. Capitol and back to his new office.

And, on January 9th:
Minutes after he was sworn into office, Maffei said the reality of being a United States congressman still had not sunk in.
"I just sat in that chair in the midst of everything, thinking about the task before us and what an honor it is to be able to serve my hometown," Maffei said. "I'm just so grateful. It really is a dream come true."
His wife of six months, Abby Davidson Maffei, watched the ceremony from a balcony above the House floor. She had one of three tickets Maffei was allotted for the event. The others went to his father, Neil, and mother, Louise, who made the trip from Syracuse.
The new congressman left the House floor with a substantial advantage over the class of 57 incoming freshman members. Maffei found out late Monday that he was appointed to one of the largest and most influential committees, the House Financial Services Committee.
The committee, chaired by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., will make many of the key decisions about President-elect Barack Obama's proposed $775 billion economic stimulus package and other matters to address the struggling economy.

And, then on January 20th, President Obama’s Inauguration Day, Weiner writes:
Syracuse area Rep. Dan Maffei, D-DeWitt, slept Monday night in his office in the Capitol complex in order to avoid the historic gridlock that paralyzed Washington, D.C. for most of the day.
Maffei, who was about 30 yards behind Obama, said he was overcome with emotion during the swearing-in ceremony,
"I sort of lost it twice," Maffei said. "I just teared up. During his speech, it was surreal to see him from behind. I can't describe what it was like to see 2 million people. It was surreal. It was like a movie."

And, I send a shout out to my brother Dan, for noticing this March 21st item in the Post-Standard, also written by Weiner:
In his first 100 days in Congress, Rep. Dan Maffei has debated on the House floor, appeared on CNN and visited the White House to discuss weighty issues.

But Maffei said nothing prepared him for Friday's interview with Stephen Colbert, the comedian who hosts "The Colbert Report," a popular show on the Comedy Central cable channel.

"The reason I agreed to it is that he does a little bit of a plug for your district," Maffei said. He mentioned to Colbert that Budweiser is brewed in Baldwinsville and that salt potatoes are a staple of the New York State Fair, in Syracuse.

"I need to be a cheerleader for the district," Maffei said. "And besides, I think you're better off getting (the interview with Colbert) done, rather than resisting."

When I first put together this story, it had not aired, but as of last night, it has! (Thanks to sister Sue for noticing).

To see the full Colbert Report piece, go to: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/224011/april-07-2009/better-know-a-district---new-york-s-25th---dan-maffei.